Win-win for job seekers, employers

Oklahoma will soon face a critical shortage in the number of skilled workers available to fill in-demand jobs and grow the state’s economy. By 2025, 70 percent of Oklahoma’s jobs will require education and training beyond high school, according to data from the Oklahoma Office of Workforce Development. Currently, only 40 percent of the state’s workforce has such education and training.

Gov. Mary Fallin’s Oklahoma Works Initiative is designed to close this skills gap and increase wealth generation in the state by aligning education and training to the needs of businesses so more Oklahomans can achieve economic success.

To do this, our private and public partners are investing in long-term strategies to develop and nurture our current and future talent pipeline. One of these strategies is Earn and Learn Oklahoma, a goal established to increase the number of paid apprenticeships and internships in the state to 20,000 by the year 2020.

Registered apprenticeships and paid internships are a win-win for job seekers and employers. Job seekers are able to limit their student debt by earning a wage while learning valuable, demanddriven skills through on-the-job training. Nationally, apprentices earn an average starting salary of $50,000 and nine out of 10 are employed after completing their apprenticeship. Paid internships also expose job seekers to career possibilities and help them to cultivate their employability skills such as communication, problem solving, teamwork and self-management. Meanwhile, employers are able to build

Career exploration and work-based learning, such as internships and apprenticeships, are integral to the well-being of Oklahoma’s economic future.

internship and apprenticeship programs that are designed to specifically meet their needs.

This week, events have been held throughout Oklahoma to spotlight how career exposure, apprenticeships, and paid internships can impact the lives of Oklahomans and boost our state’s economy. These events were tailored to empower business and industry to engage with students, educators, parents and others; promote in-demand and hard-to-fill occupations; draw attention to the role business and industry play in communities; and change misconceptions about some of Oklahoma’s jobs and industries.

Career exploration and work-based learning, such as internships and apprenticeships, are integral to the well-being of Oklahoma’s economic future. These opportunities allow individuals to earn a wage while learning critical skills, provide business and industry with trained talent to meet their specific needs, and reduce the skills gap to meet the demands of Oklahoma’s growth and demand industries and occupations. Let’s all continue to work together to expand paid apprenticeships and internships in our state and send more Oklahomans marching along the path of prosperity. Natalie Shirley